Lash, Melissa
(2015)
Non-Brownian Particle Self-Assembly for Hierarchical Materials Development.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Colloidal crystals have been explored in the literature for applications in molecular electronics, photonics, sensors, and drug delivery. Much of the research on colloidal crystals has been focused on nano-sized particles with limited attention directed towards building blocks with dimensions ranging from tens to hundreds of microns. This can be attributed, in part, to the fact that particles with greater than sub-micron dimensions do not naturally assemble in an organized fashion over reasonable time-scales due to the relatively small influence of thermalizing forces. Nevertheless, ordered arrays of large, micron-scale particles are of interest as a basis for the production of hierarchically structured materials with customizable pore sizes. Additionally, the ability to create materials from a bottom-up approach with these characteristics would allow for precise control over their pore structure (size and distribution) and surface properties (topography, functionalization and area), resulting in improved regulation of key characteristics such as mechanical strength, diffusive properties, and possibly even photonic properties. In this work, ultrasonic agitation is explored as a means of inducing large, non-Brownian microparticles (18-750 µm) to overcome kinetic barriers to rearrangement and, ultimately, to create close packed, highly ordered, crystals. Using ultrasonic agitation we have been able to create highly-ordered, two- and three-dimensional crystalline structures on a variety of length scales by adjusting external system properties. Additionally, by mixing particle populations, multicomponent crystals are created with complex organizational patterns, similar to those of stoichiometric chemical structures. By repurposing these crystalline materials as templates, a plethora of new hierarchical microarchitectures can be created for applications in fields such as biotechnology and energy. In this thesis we begin exploring applications in tissue (bone) engineering, catalysis, battery materials and the production of patchy particles via surface modification.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
11 September 2015 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
19 June 2015 |
| Approval Date: |
11 September 2015 |
| Submission Date: |
17 June 2015 |
| Access Restriction: |
5 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 5 years. |
| Number of Pages: |
159 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Swanson School of Engineering > Chemical and Petroleum Engineering |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Fabrication and characterization of non-Brownian particle-based crystals and their inverse structures |
| Date Deposited: |
11 Sep 2015 17:00 |
| Last Modified: |
11 Sep 2020 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25419 |
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